


Together

by RunicWrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunicWrites/pseuds/RunicWrites
Summary: INSPIRED BY MICKEY_99'S FINDING THE TRUTH AND HAIKYUU SOULMATE AU SERIES! READ THAT FIRST OR THIS WON'T MAKE SENSE!Link to that: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736596What if Tsukishima was included in the survivors group in Finding the Truth?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Goshiki Tsutomu/Semi Eita/Shirabu Kenjirou, Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Kindaichi Yuutarou/Kunimi Akira, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mickey_99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mickey_99/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Finding the Truth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24359356) by [Mickey_99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mickey_99/pseuds/Mickey_99). 



> INSPIRED BY MICKEY_99'S FINDING THE TRUTH AND HAIKYUU SOULMATE AU SERIES! READ THAT FIRST OR THIS WON'T MAKE SENSE!
> 
> Link to that: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736596

**_VolleyIdiot2_ has** _added_ ** _You, VolleyIdiot1, Kunimi Akira_** _,_ **_Tendou Satori_** _,_ ** _Shirabu Kenjirou_** _,_ ** _Tadashi_** _,_ ** _Yaku Morisuke, Akaashi Keiji_** _and_ ** _Goshiki Tsutomu,_** _to a group chat._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_** _This is Hinata Shouyou from Karasuno High School._ If _you have burning questions about your past that you need answered, come to Tokyo on Sunday. Kenma and Kuroo’s place. If you can’t or don’t want to that’s fine, it’s your choice. But if you have any desire to have answers, I have some._

Kei was on the train with Tadashi when he got the text. Beside him, he felt his soulmate begin to shake. 

'This isn't good.' he thought to himself.

He got both of them off the train as soon as possible and coaxed his boyfriend into talking to him. And if he shook while Tadashi told him about what happened, well, who wouldn't, if their soulmate was upset?

-

On the train to Tokyo, as Kageyama gave the rules, he couldn't help but wonder why he was being included in that group. He had never had anything happen to him like Tadashi had. 

Suddenly a strangely familiar scent washed over him, it smelled of musk and salt. He wasn't sure where he knew it from. He didn't even realize it when he blanked out for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived at the train station, he took Tadashi's hand and panicked slightly when he realized he couldn't feel him through the bond. 

"Tadashi, why did you put up a wall?" He says, worried.

Tadashi looked at him strangely, "Kageyama told us too, you were there," then a look of understanding passed over his face, "Tsukki you really need to stop spacing out!" He laughed and Kei gave a small smile.

"You need to put one up too," Tadashi said, firmly. Kei does.

He swears his soul left his body three separate times on the drive back to the apartment. He made a mental note to _never_ underestimate Kenma.

He watches as things happen around him, feigning disinterest. He still hadn't let go of Tadashi's hand, though, and he knew he wasn't fooling him.

When Hina- Shouyou asked who wanted to be called by their first names, Tadashi raised his hand for him. Kei couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance, but if it made Tadashi more at ease, then he'd do it.

After a bit, Kei got up and made his way over to where Shouyou and Tobio were standing.

"Look, I think you put me in the wrong group," he said, looking at Shouyou and Kageyama. 

"What do you mean?" They asked, annoyingly in sync.

"I know some of what happened to Tadashi, and nothing like that's ever happened to me." He looked at them, "So, why am I with this group?" 

They exchanged a worried glance.

Shouyou began, "Tsukish- Kei, we may not be that close," Kei snorted. "...but everyone here has been through it at some point or another."

"And where- pray tell, is your evidence that I've gone through 'it'. Cause I think having no memory of it is pretty strong evidence to the contrary."

"Look, Kei, just come watch and you'll have your evidence," Tobio said, a strange mixture of worried and angry at Kei's tone.

Kei rolled his eyes, "Fine, but I'm only coming to make sure Tadashi's okay." And with that, he made his way back over to his soulmate.

Tadashi gave him a questioning look and he just shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Kei missed most of what happened after that, he couldn’t stop thinking, 'What are they talking about? What do they know that I don't?'

He abruptly forced himself to tune back in when they said Tadashi's name.

**_“Yamaguchi Tadashi.” The man who could only have been Shouyou’s dad said. “But his fucking soulmate got in the way before we could do much else about it. He never found out about the entire ring. We got good use out of him before we lost him, but he got removed completely from our care and put with his soulmate’s family in his last year of middle school.”_ **

“I don’t remember much,” Tadashi said from Shouyou's arms,” Tsukki’s mom said it’s called memory repression. But at nights sometimes I have nightmares about people who make me beg to come. People with whips. I know something happened, and I know what it was. But the details are hazy. But there are moments when it comes back. And it's always painful. I have scars on my back from god knows what, and Tsukki says that the state he rescued me in was atrocious." Kei nodded and then shook his head violently, trying to get the image out of his head. "I remember bits and pieces. But those pieces are always painful. But I remember loud and clear how they used to tell me I deserved it.”

“You didn’t,” Kageyama said.

Kei smiled.

“What- “

“Bitch did he stutter,” Tendou said, smiling slightly.

Tadashi cracked a small smile.

“You didn’t deserve it,” Hinata said quietly,” None of us deserved it. No one ever deserves that.”

Tadashi’s head tilted to the side and tears ran down his face, but still, he smiled at Hinata before burying his head in Hinata’s shirt, blushing madly.

“Thank you,” he said,” Now please play the tape and stop looking at me, it’s embarrassing.”

Tsukishima is glad that someone else other than himself is reinforcing what he's worked to instill in Tadashi from the beginning.

**_"That brings us to his soulmate, Tsukishima Kei."_ **

Tadashi tensed and looked at the person in question and quickly moved himself over to Kei's side.

**_"We started him at 6 years old, he had the same kind of appeal you did Hinata, which makes sense considering he's your half-brother-"_ **

Tsukishima looked over to Hinata, who was looking at him too, with an expression Tsukishima couldn't quite discern on his face. Tsukishima quickly looked away and back at the tape.

**_"-he had the same kind of innocent, cheerful appeal that you did, although he was shy and a bit of a tsundere. People loved him, you two were our main sellers for a while."_ **

“Kei? Innocent and cheerful? I don't believe it." Tobio said, clearly trying to lighten the mood, but Tsukishima wasn't in the mood to banter with him. Tadashi took up the role.

"You better believe it! That's exactly how he was!" Tadashi laughed as if they weren’t debating the logistics of Kei’s sex appeal.

Everyone laughed with him and then Shouyou pressed play on the tape again.

**_"Then, he started going glassy-eyed."_ **

**_"What do you mean glassy-eyed?" The Hinata on the tape asked._ **

**_"I don't know how to explain it other than that. He would just lie there, eyes empty. He wouldn't follow directions, clients sometimes thought they had killed him. That's when the sadists started liking him, the people who wanted someone to just submit and take whatever they had to give. He still expressed pain and that was enough for them. Around then, we realized he wasn't telling anyone because he genuinely didn't remember. We could do whatever we wanted to him at night and in the morning he wouldn't remember a single thing that happened. It was perfect! We actually took him away from his family for a week, under the guise of a school trip, we had an ally in the school who covered for us. During that time, we tried a lot of things so that he wouldn't get suspicious when he woke up with clear evidence. What ended up working was a mental program of sorts, we taught him that if he looked at his back or let anyone else do it, he would be punished. We told clients that they could only leave marks on his back. Thankfully, he seemed to think the pain was normal. We planted cameras in his house and reinforced the message over and over again until he got the message._ **

Tadashi's eyes widened and nodded as if something now made sense and Kei wanted to scream and pull his hair out. THIS CAN'T BE REAL.

**_"How did you pull off putting cameras in his house?" Shouyou was disgusted, but determined to get as much information as possible out of the man._ **

**_"His mother practically cried thanking us after we told her we were doing it to keep them safe. Eventually, his stupid fucking brother found him with a client one night. Luckily, the client had a knife on him and threatened to kill the kid if the brother told. I came back and reinforced that message. It actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. We got some money off his brother for a while. He was popular with the straight girls."_ **

Kei inhaled sharply, and Tadashi gripped his hand tightly.

**_"Unfortunately, he was too old to really be malleable enough. We started to get worried about him blabbing. So we let him go. He wasn't getting that many customers anyway, so we left him with the threat of killing the younger one."_ **

**_"Was his brother your kid too?"_ **

**_"No, his brother was his mother's soulmate's. The dude was an abusive prick who left the family about a month before I impregnated his mother. That's why she was so okay with the cameras, I told her it was to keep Kei safe from him while she was out of the house. She never asked to see the tapes, funnily enough."_ **

**_"I'm sorry, who are you calling an abusive prick?" Kageyama said sharply._ **

**_The older Hinata just rolled his eyes and continued._ **

**_"Anyway, it was a rather convenient situation for us, his mother was out all night working three jobs to support her kids. His brother would be at volleyball and then also at work, so he was alone in the house until at least midnight every night. We lost him at the same time as we lost his soulmate. Since his soulmate moved in with him, he wasn't alone at night anymore, and we didn't want him to get suspicious. It's funny how they both would go down protecting each other but never themselves."_ **

Piece after horrible piece began to click together in Kei's mind. 

"No, this is impossible," he said, and to the average ear he would have sounded flat and stoic, but Tadashi was not the average ear. "There's no way this happened."

"Kei, you've been lecturing me about memory repression for years. I think you know that this is entirely possible."

"Knowing something happened but not details is one thing, not remembering a single fucking thing is another. What is this? Some elaborate joke?" he snapped.

The shock and anger were apparent on everyone's faces, that was fine, he was used to making people angry. What he didn't expect was when it softened into something that looked suspiciously like pity.

Kei's face hardened. "This. Never. Happened."

Yaku stood up, "Prove it then."

Kei looked at him, confused.

"Take off your shirt," Yaku said.

"Fine, I will," he spat.

As he had reached down to the hem of his t-shirt, an indescribable feeling of panic swept over him. Then, the buzzing of his head quieted, and he was barely aware of himself as his arms pulled his shirt over his head. He came back to himself a little bit when a cry rang out across the room. 

'They're angry,' he thought dully. Sure enough, Yaku's face had morphed into one of pure rage.

He barely noticed how his hands were shaking as he was handed a handheld mirror, to look at the one angled onto his back. The mangled mess of skin and scars there didn't affect him. They didn't affect him, they didn't affect him, _they didn't affect him-_

Suddenly, a wave of anxiety crashed down onto him and he was somewhere else. He saw broken images of a boy being used and tortured. He heard the cruel words and tasted the salt and smelled the musk.

When he came back to, soothing circles were being rubbed into his arm and his shirt was back on. He looked around, every eye in the room was on him.

"I guess that's what they meant by glassy-eyed," Akaashi said.

Kei, who still didn't quite feel connected to his senses, took a minute to process what Akaashi had said.

"What just happened?" He asked flatly.

"You took off your shirt and you started shaking really badly. You took one look at your back- oh god your back-" Shouyou looked revolted and Kei dropped his head in shame, he knew he shouldn't have let that happen. "...and dropped the mirror and just...sat there. I don't even know how to describe it. You looked...dead." Shouyou looked unnerved, and anything that made _Shouyou_ look unnerved, must have been bad.

"I'm so sorry, Kei! It literally said right in the tape that that would be a trigger for you. I'm sorry I made you do that. I just wanted for you to see proof. It’s inexcusable." Ya-No, Morisuke was bowing to him from the other side of the room.

"No, it's okay," Kei said, still entirely caught off guard by this situation. "I don't really understand why you're apologizing to me, but it's okay, I guess."

Morisuke looked at him incredulously, "Of course I'm apologizing, I triggered you!"

Kei was genuinely confused, "But you were mad at me a minute ago, all of you were when you saw my back."

Morisuke's expression softened, "No! No, no, no, I wasn't mad at you, I was mad that..." he seemed to struggle for words.

"We were mad at the people who did that to you. We were horrified that you had to go through that and revolted that someone would do that." Aka-Keiji finished and Morisuke nodded vehemently. 

"Why? I mean, I don't even remember...it." He said carefully, "It's worse for you guys who have to remember. I mean, you can't be surprised. Like you said, Shouyou, it's happened to everyone here."

"Just because we're not surprised doesn't mean we're not still disgusted by humanity," Satori spoke up. 

Kei shrugged as if to say 'I guess'.

He looked away, to make it clear to everyone that he was done being the center of attention, and the tape continued on.

Tadashi never stopped rubbing shapes into his arm as if to say 'I'm here', and for that, he was grateful.

\---------------------A month later----------------------

**_Tendou Satori_ ** _has created_ **_The Fucked-up Siblings Groupchat_ **

**_Tendou Satori_ ** _has added_ **_You, VolleyIdiot1, VolleyIdiot2, Kunimi Akira_ ** _,_ **_Yaku Morisuke_ ** _,_ **_Shirabu Kenjirou_ ** _,_ **_Tadashi, Akaashi Keiji_ ** _, and_ **_Goshiki Tsutomu to The Fucked-up Siblings Groupchat_ **

**_12:01 AM_ **

**_Tendou Satori:_** Welcome to the shit-fuckery!

**_Tsukishima Kei:_** That is...quite the name.

**_Kunimi Akira:_** So, uh, why is it called that?

**_Tendou Satori:_** We’re kind of like a band of fucked-up siblings who have been through some shit together right? Even those of us who aren’t actually related.

**_Tendou Satori:_** Plus it adds character!

**_VolleyIdiot1:_** I guess someone took the police’s date of when we could talk again rather literally

**_Tendou Satori:_** Hell yeah!! I can talk to you guys again, I’m not passing up this opportunity!!

**_Akaashi Keiji:_** But we’re literally seeing each other tomorrow…?

**_Tendou Satori:_** But why wait for tomorrow when I could text you guys at 12:01 AM

**_Goshiki Tsutomu:_** He has a point!

**_Tendou Satori:_** GO TO BED YOU’RE LIKE 12 IT’S PAST YOUR BEDTIME

**_Goshiki Tsutomu:_** But I’m 16 and I don’t have a bedtime :(

**_Goshiki Tsutomu:_** Plus, you’re blowing up my phone.

**_Tendou Satori:_** EVERYONE SHUT UP MY CHILD IS TRYING TO SLEEP

**_Kunimi Akira:_** You’re literally texting the most out of all of us.

**_Tendou Satori:_** SHSHSHHSHSHHHHHHHHH

**_Kunimi Akira:_** Alright then.

**_Tendou Satori:_** SHH.

\--------Another Month Later------

**_The Fucked-up Siblings Groupchat_ **

**_5:13 PM_ **

**_Tsukishima Kei:_** [_https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072671/_](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072671/)

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _????? What does any of that even mean????_

**_Tsukishima Kei:_ ** _Oh yeah, I forgot you can't read._

**_Tadashi:_ ** _Kei._

**_Tsukishima Kei:_ ** _Sorry._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _DID HE JUST APOLOGIZE???? ARE YOU SICK? TADASHI, I THINK HE'S SICK_

**_Tadashi:_ ** _He's right next to me lol, and he's fine, he actually apologizes a lot once you get to know him._

**_Akaashi Keiji:_ ** _So, was there something you were trying to tell us by sending us an article?_

**_Tsukishima Kei is typing._ **

**_Tsukishima Kei has stopped typing._ **

**_Tsukishima Kei is typing._ **

**_Tsukishima Kei:_ ** _"The intrusions most commonly take the form of relatively brief, vivid sensory impressions such as images, sounds, body sensations, tastes, or smells"_

**_Tendou Satori:_ ** _Yes...?_

**_Tsukishima Kei:_ ** _I didn't know that._

**_Tadashi:_ ** _God Kei you are being so fucking awkward about this. It's okay! You can do it!_

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _DID TADASHI SAY THE FUCK WORD_

**_Tadashi:_ ** _You wouldn't believe how much I say "the fuck word". Anyway, Kei, just tell them instead of dancing around it. It's not going to get any easier. They're not going to think it's much of a big deal, I don't think._

**_Tsukishima Kei is typing._ **

**_Tsukishima Kei:_ ** _I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted at the meeting. I really still haven't really accepted the reality, but I went to a diagnostician today and they said I probably have some form of Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder as well as PTSD. I've also figured out through research and something that they said, that I do get flashbacks, just not in the normal way. I'll get what seem like hallucinations, like smells or feelings of something touching me, or hear or see something that isn't there, but it's really just a memory trying to come through. I am trying my best to accept these memories as real but I am not doing very well. Thank you for putting up with me._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _*wipes a tear* I never thought I'd see the day that Tsukishima Kei openly shares his feelings with us, even if it did take him an ungodly amount of time to write that out._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _In all seriousness, thanks for telling us!_

**_Shirabu Kenjirou:_ ** _Honestly, I don't think there is a normal way to have flashbacks. They fuckin suck man._

**_Goshiki Tsutomu:_ ** _Tbh I don't blame you for how you acted. If I had just heard all of that, having no idea about any of it beforehand I would have freaked the heck out too!_

**_Shirabu Kenjirou:_ ** _Your use of heck is fucking adorable._

**_Tendou Satori:_ ** _I don't think he could curse if he tried._

**_Tendou Satori:_ ** _Anyway, I agree with them, thanks for telling us!_

**_Akaashi Keiji:_ ** _We don't 'put up with you'._

**_Akaashi Keiji:_ ** _We actually like you._

**_Yaku Morisuke:_ ** _^^^_

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _Is...is he not going to respond...?_

**_Tadashi:_ ** _He's going to kill me later for telling you this, but he's really overwhelmed by the support._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _Awww, I knew he had a heart somewhere beneath the many layers of sarcasm and salt!_

**_12:58 AM_ **

**_VolleyIdiot1:_ ** _I'm late but yes I agree_

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _KAGEYAMA IT'S ALMOST 1 AM WHY ARE YOU AWAKE_

**_VolleyIdiot1:_ ** _I DON'T KNOW DUMBASS WHY ARE YOU AWAKE_

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _IF YOU GO TO BED I'LL GO TO BED_

**_VolleyIdiot1:_ ** _...fine, night._

**_VolleyIdiot2:_ ** _Night!_

**-**

Now familiar with the feeling of being in the throes of dissociation and able to recognize it, Kei knew this would be a hard day. He's had this day planned for weeks, but he still didn't feel prepared. He knew he may never feel ready, but he needed to have this conversation. He needed to talk to Akiteru.

Akiteru had come home the previous week, and was to be home for the next week and a half. Kei thought it perfect to do it in the middle, that way if it went wrong, there was less time remaining, and if it went well, they still had some time together.

Tadashi was a saint, he had agreed that they were going to have this conversation together. Kei had told Akiteru a time and that they had something to talk about, but nothing else.

Reluctantly, Kei roused his sleepy boyfriend and they got up and got ready. By the time Akiteru was at the table, he had gotten dressed, brushed his teeth, and made sure that his boyfriend was awake and decent as well.

Kei hovered in the doorway until Akiteru looked up from his phone and patted the chair next to him. Kei took the one across and Tadashi took the one next to Kei. Akiteru smiled and looked at them.

“What’s got you two looking all serious, you got a body you need me to help you hide?” He joked.

Tadashi cracked a smile, Kei didn’t.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Akiteru asked, looking slightly concerned.

Kei looked at Tadashi, who took his hand but made it clear with his eyes that Kei was going to be the one doing the talking. Kei sighed and looked back at Akiteru.

“Recently, a friend from our volleyball team texted us and a couple other guys from other volleyball teams.” 

Kei paused and Akiteru nodded for him to continue.

“To quote his text, he said if we had any “burning questions about out past” that we should meet him at his soulmates’ house in Tokyo,”

A suspicious look crossed Akiteru’s face but he quickly schooled his features. 

“There he showed us a video of his dad, who is in prison for child molestation and is now being held on accounts of human trafficking of multiple children in the area.”

Kei watched as his brother blanched.   
  


“The video showed his father talking about the different children who had been part of the ring. I had no idea why I was being shown this. Of course, we knew about Tadashi,” 

He looked over at the boy in question who nodded encouragingly. 

“But you can imagine my surprise when not only my, but also your name shows up. They said…” Kei trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He couldn’t really even understand what he was trying to say. What was going on again?

Suddenly, he felt Tadashi squeeze his hand and hand him something. He brought it up to his face, red and white flashing before his eyes. Oh, a peppermint. Right, they had talked about this. This was something the psychologist had suggested. Eat a peppermint when he was dissociating. 

He was dissociating. Right. 

He put the peppermint in his mouth and really focused on the explosion of taste. When he could feel his body again, he looked back up at his brother who was looking at him, horrified.

“I can’t be the only one talking; a conversation usually consists of two people,” He said dryly.

“I...I…” Then it all came out in a rush, “I’m so sorry I never said anything. They threatened you and plus you never seemed to remember anything. I thought it might be better if I didn’t mention it. If you didn’t remember it then you didn’t really have to...I don’t know...deal with the horror of it all during the day, I guess. I didn’t want to bring anything up that might result in more pain for you.”

Kei trained his eyes on the floor, “I wouldn’t have blamed you for saying something just to save your own ass. I know you never would have done it, you’re too self-sacrificing, but I wouldn’t have blamed you. Plus, just because I didn’t remember doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I...I have to deal with it eventually. The more you refuse to remember and deal with something the more it forces its way to the surface day after day. You can’t escape it.”

Tadashi squeezed his hand in approval.

“I’m so so so sorry. I-” his brother’s voice broke and Kei looked up quickly. Tears were rolling down his face. “I didn’t know what to do,” He finished softly.

“I don’t know if this helps but I don’t blame you. You did the best you could in a shitty situation and I think that’s the most anyone can ask of you. I’m glad….I’m glad we have each other now to work through this. Fucked-up siblings right?” 

Tadashi snickered beside him.

“Yeah I guess so,” Akiteru smiled tearfully. 

Kei got up and walked around the table. He pulled his brother into a tight hug and allowed himself to cry for the first time in who knows how long. As the brothers sobbed into each other's arms, Kei reached a kind of peace. He would do whatever it took to get better and help Akiteru and Tadashi and everyone else in this fucked up situation too. 

They would do it together.

**Author's Note:**

> INSPIRED BY MICKEY_99'S FINDING THE TRUTH AND HAIKYUU SOULMATE AU SERIES! READ THAT FIRST OR THIS WON'T MAKE SENSE!
> 
> Link to that: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736596


End file.
